Exploring the Logistics
As a single dose, the J&J vaccine is distinct from Pfizer and Moderna vaccines previously available, as both vaccines required patients to get a second dose within a few weeks.
• Logistically, that meant providers needed to continually secure more vaccines on a specific schedule and to store them.
• It also meant patients had to schedule their second dose carefully, which caused a lot of anxiety for them.
Consider the challenges faced by the most extensive facilities, too. Imagine, for instance, the concern faced by Texas hospitals during February’s brutal weather events. With an inventory of vaccines that must be kept at ultra-low temperatures, and a mostly immobile group of patients waiting on a second dose, Texas officials were scrambling to administer thousands of vaccines after a power loss before they expired due to power outages across the state.
